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Musharraf wants debate on Israel recognition
Khaleej Times, (Reuters)
30 June 2003
ISLAMABAD - President Pervez Musharraf has called on Muslim Pakistan to consider recognising Israel if the fledgling Middle East peace plan remained on track.
In an interview late on Sunday the military ruler repeated comments made on his trip to the United States that Pakistan should not be “more Palestinian than the Palestinians”.
“If the peace process is going forward and they are moving towards peace then we should think whether we will keep our stance against Israel or not,” Musharraf told the private Geo-TV news channel. “We need a national consensus on it.”
Pakistan has no ties with Israel and its citizens are not allowed to travel there. Any move towards official recognition would be bitterly opposed in Pakistan by an influential alliance of Islamic parties.
Qazi Hussain Ahmed, head of the Jamaat-e-Islami party which is in the Islamic bloc, warned Musharraf about ceding ground on Israel before the leader met U.S. President George W. Bush at Camp David last week.
“If there is any talk on recognising Israel, we will vigorously struggle to remove Musharraf from power,” Ahmed said. Islamic parties are locked in a political standoff with Musharraf over his extensive powers, including his dual role as leader of the country and head of the army.
The alliance accuses of Musharraf, who backed the U.S.-led war on the Taliban in neighbouring Afghanistan in 2001, of playing lackey to Washington.
But the issue of recognition of Israel was not discussed during Musharraf’s meeting with Bush, a senior U.S. administration official said. Musharraf said the media should play a role in holding a debate on Pakistan’s relations with Israel. (However, Musharraf was promised a $3 billion aid deal by the Bush administration).
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| Earth, a planet hungry for peace |
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| The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03). |
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| The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers in the West Bank (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03). |
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